Changyu branches out into the UK(2)

Pardoe said the difference in taste between Chateau Changyu Moser XV and other Bordeaux wines is subtle. "The climate in Ningxia is warmer and drier than Bordeaux, and the sunlight is stronger, therefore the wine has a more savory character. In comparison, the Bordeaux wines are fruitier, fresher, and drier."

Meanwhile, the three ice wines Pardoe picked to complete the collection are developed by Changyu in Liaoning province for the Chinese domestic market, with help from Aurora Icewine Co Ltd, the biggest ice wine company in Canada.

Pardoe said the Changyu ice wines will provide Britain with a welcome alternative to German ice wines, which now lead Europe's ice wine market.

Most German ice wines are made from the Riesling grape, whereas the Changyu ice wines are made from a sweeter vidal grape, popular in Canada.

Liaoning has weather "remarkably" suitable for ice wines, Pardoe said.

"To make ice wine is very difficult because they have to be harvested in a temperature that is -8 C, which Liaoning has on a predictable annual basis."

There will be a slight difference between the three ice wines. Gold Label is a light wine with citrus, tropical fruits, blossom and honey flavors, Blue Label has spicy honey, lychee and pear aromas, and Black Label contains apricot, pineapple and vanilla flavors.

Pardoe said that Berry Bros will initially import 100 cases of the three ice wines altogether and another 100 cases of the Chateau Changyu Moser XV, but will continue to order more when the first batch sells out.

The wines will arrive in Britain in June, he said.

Changyu is no newcomer to the world of wine. Founded by Zhang Bishi in 1892, it has grown to be one of China's best-known producers.

By 2016 Changyu plans to open a "wine city" in Yantai, Shandong province, covering an estimated area of more than four square kilometers and costing about 6 billion yuan ($979 million).

Comprising a research institute and wine-production facilities and vineyards, it will feature a European-style village, two wine and brandy chateaux and an international wine trading center.

Changyu's first entry into Europe was in France, where it was distributed by Castel. But it failed to attract repeat orders because of inconsistent quality, according to a report by the wine specialist media China Wine News.

But more recently, in September 2011, it was picked up by the Belgium supermarket Delhaize. Late last year Changyu's Cabernet d'Est became available on first-class Asian routes of the German airline Lufthansa, China Wine News reported.

Last summer the British supermarket Waitrose added a Chinese wine and a Brazilian wine to its collection at a promotional event during the Olympic period, and Chateau Changyu cabernet gernischt was chosen.

Although Waitrose did not continue to stock the wine after the trial, a spokesman told the wine magazine Decanter that the cabernet gernischt was selling out "quickly, much faster than we expected, and we were thrilled with our customers' reaction to this new and unknown wine".

Pardoe said that Berry Bros' collaboration with Changyu is an important statement about the potential of Chinese wine. "This is just the tip of the iceberg," he said.

China is the eighth-largest producer of wine in the world and is forecast to be sixth-largest by 2016. Wine consumption in China has more than doubled in the past five years, and China is expected to become the second-largest wine consumer by value by 2016, up from third place today, according to Vinexpo, a wine industry trade fair.

Over the years, many foreign wine brands have established joint ventures with Chinese brands to produce wine for China's local market. But very little of this is exported overseas due to both a lack of brand awareness and a lack of financial motivation when demand in China's burgeoning domestic market is already hard to fulfill.

Pardoe said its cooperation model with Changyu is unique because it develops wine specifically for the European market. Looking to the future, he said, Berry Bros is willing to develop more wines with Changyu and other Chinese producers to help Chinese wine brands go global.

"As a high-quality wine merchant, our job is always to demonstrate the diversity and complexity of what is available in the world of wine, and the arrival of Chinese wines onto the world market is an important milestone."